Congestion. Sneezing. Itchy eyes. Does that sound familiar? Adults and children alike are suffering from allergies, and it seems like allergy season is getting longer and longer. I’m getting weekly phone calls from parents struggling with miserable little ones looking not only for quick relief remedies but for answers – why does this happen and how can I stop it? While I am not a doctor, and I advise you to work with one if you or your child suffer from severe allergies, I can provide some suggestions that will help provide some immediate relief.
First, know that no natural remedies are going to permanently alleviate allergies without addressing the underlying root cause. I’ve listened to parents tell me that they’ve spent thousands of dollars on antihistamines, inhalers, steroid drugs, allergy shots, sinus surgeries and more only to find the allergies keep coming back. Some eventually moved on the natural stuff like quercetin, Vitamin C, homeopathies, nettle leaf, etc. and while they felt better about their choices, the effect/improvement was no greater because they were just trying to treat the allergies with no understanding of the underlying root causes. I encourage clients to try avoiding high histamine foods, eliminating gluten, dairy, processed foods and added sugars. These are all hard for the body to process easily. What you need to do is give the GI tract a break and allow for some system strengthening. Additionally, I highly recommend a daily probiotic.
For immediate relief, one of the things that I have found that helps is a saline rinse in the nose. This also usually helps avoid those painful ear infections that most children get. Another must have in the allergy toolbox is a nebulizer. My husband had an extremely painful sinus infection recently and I had him nebulize with purified water, 3% food grade peroxide and a drop of iodine. For maintenance I have him nebulize colloidal silver and purified water. Always ask your personal health care provider what would work best for you in your nebulizer.
Ask your Naturopath or Functional Medicine Doctor for some natural supplements that can help with histamine issues. I love the Designs for Health supplements like D-hist and Hista Eze. Both are the best symptom relief supplements that I’ve found, but doses should be analyzed for kids. Keep in mind that the dosage on supplements is always based on a 150 pound person.
Did you know that Vitamin C in large doses is an excellent antihistamine and antitoxin? There is abundant medical evidence to support this, and much can be found in the hundreds of controlled studies cited in The Healing Factor, by Irwin Stone; How To Live Longer and Feel Better, by Dr. Linus Pauling, and the many papers of Frederick R. Klenner, M.D. summarized in Clinical Uses of Vitamin C, edited by Lendon Smith, M.D., who also appeared on the TODAY show as the “Children’s Doctor”.
Finally, don’t forget about diffusing reputable pure essential oils for relief. Lavender oil is a natural antihistamine. Peppermint opens airways, and lemon is a detoxifier and helps flush toxins out of the body. A nice blend of lavender, peppermint, and lemon always takes the tickle nose away immediately for me!
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